Paul Boutin, who writes about technology in a pop-culture context, details this "video mad lib" fad. He offers an explanation of how any person can create a Hitler bunker scene remix video. And, he details how trailers are being re-cut to seem like they are completely different movies that fit into a completely different genre (like making Mary Poppins into a "scarefest" or turning a Stephen King film into a "heartwarming family tale.")
Boutin makes a point of mentioning how remixing is covered by "fair use." He notes that one might be well within their right to us a portion of copyrighted material in a parody (and a person is), but copyright holders can remove or take down your video. In fact, Constantin Films had a dozen remixes taken down before it decided they should not try to stop this phenomenon that involved remixing a scene from a film they owned the rights to.
Constantin Films' decision is one that many other copyright holders should make when faced with "free culture" fads. Instead of trying to stop people, think of how a group of people using one scene could lead to your film blowing up in popularity. No doubt, thousands have probably rented Downfall since seeing him explode over the Cubs or Sarah Palin because they figured out what film this scene was coming from on IMDB, saw that it was receiving good reviews & high praise, and chose to watch the film.
Making a Hitler bunker scene video is one thing open video makes possible. Open video also can make it possible for citizens to control the personal technology they use when creating art & media. It can help preserve user privacy and act against censorship. And, it can promote universal accessibility to all information on the web, ensure that broadband Internet access is treated as a public necessity, and keep the Internet remains open with equal access for all users and is kept free from barriers to content that gatekeepers might institute to make huge profits.
Society should treasure open video. Essentially, as corporations exact more control over political culture and elections in America, it is we the people who will need to step up to combat conversation which teaches us to favor the richest 1% along with the corporations that government is all too willing to provide welfare to.
It is we who will need to maintain the preservation and the evolution of open video so that we can make sharp comments on societal issues like this remix video from documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight, Trials of Henry Kissinger) does.
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